


Generations 05: A Wonderful Day

by Fier



Series: Generations [5]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25625074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fier/pseuds/Fier
Summary: A depressed Mulder is invited by Margaret Scully to the annual Irish Folk Festival. He attends reluctantly and his bizarre sense of humor causes him to ask a question. Its answer both surprises him and changes his life.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: Generations [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857445
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Generations 05: A Wonderful Day

**Author's Note:**

> **Title** : Generations 5. A Wonderful Day (Or Possible Future)  
>  **Authors** : Macspooky & Windsinger
> 
> Hi. X-Files fans. This is my first attempt at writing fanfic. Since I think it is going to be a later part of a series of vignettes, I'll fill in some background before you start to read. Because Dana and Melissa are redheads and because their mother's name is Margaret (and Sheila Larkin is a rather Irish name and I thought she looked Irish) I decided to make Mrs. Scully distinctly Irish/American. I gave her the maiden name of McBride. Three second cousins will be introduced, eventually, Sinead, Shelagh and Siobhan, who together with Melissa came to be known as the Redhead Brigade ever into mischief. I will also be introducing an Irish Grandma who is somewhat "Spooky." Dana was the youngest semi-member always be sent off with Melissa, torn between wanting to belong and preferring to read. Fox Mulder's attitude towards Mr. Scully in this story comes about as a result of a conversation he will have with Margaret when Dana is in the hospital during "One Breath." I have only started to write it and it's a toughy. This story can be set anytime in the future, such as when the series in cancelled for those that don't like romance. It contains some language, no violence and I hope much humor and eccentricity.
> 
> Enjoy and let me know if I should keep writing. Also, I realize that the Files belongs to Fox and Chris Carter and maybe others I don't know about. I hope they don't mind if I have a little fun with their characters. I'll rate this PG13 for some language. I don't intend to steal anything and couldn't hope to compete with their wonderful series anyway. This is just fun with a few "cyberfriends." The Irish Folk Festival is a wonderful event at Wolf Trap National Park every year. Lot's of kids role down the hill and the music is great.

Dana moved around her kitchen getting ready for the picnic. She was in something of a blue funk. She really hadn't been quite herself lately. In her heart of hearts, she knew the reason why, but was loath to admit it to herself. She hoped the day out with her family would help cheer her up. Every year the entire clan met at the Irish Festival at Wolf Trap and every year they had a wonderful time. They hadn't gone last year because of her father's death, but her mom had insisted that they pick up the tradition again. There would be many changes. Melissa was married to mom's delight in spite of the fact that she had eloped. She had always been the beautiful but "flighty" one and Mom was glad to see her "settled." Her husband Chuck was a really nice guy if you could ignore the fact that he wore his hair in a ponytail. Dana could. Her mom had a bit harder time with it, but that was her generation of course. He owned his own business and financially he and Lis were set for life. Mom was hoping for Melissa and Ckuck to give her more grandkids soon. Her little brother Chris and his wife Jen had had their baby, a little girl named after her, Dana, called Dani. She was three months old, redheaded and adorable.

Bill and his wife Maureen would be there with their two kids Mike and Eileen, 12 and 7 respectively. Maureen was pregnant again with a surprise baby that had delighted them after so many years. Her favorite, though rather wild at times, cousin Sinead would be there with her husband Tim and some of his nieces and nephews to keep Mike and Eileen amused. Sinead was pregnant, due any minute, and as big as a house. Even her youngest brother Kevin, the only one to follow in Dad's footsteps and join the Navy ,would be there with his wife Anita.

Mom would be there and Mom would be bringing a date. Dana was a bit anxious about this. Whoever it was, he was certainly going to be carefully checked by the FBI. Dad had left her mother fairly comfortably well off, and Dana was going to make certain no one was going to take advantage of HER mom. Dana realized that she didn't feel better at all thinking about all the changes. She would be the only one there with no one, no husband, no baby, not even a date.

Okay Okay. So that was the reason for her funk. The only reason.

She'd get over it.

Her doorbell rang. Now who the heck...She went to it. HE stood there with that silly grin on his face. Jeez. She couldn't get rid of him. He was like a lost puppy following her.

"Uh hello, Mulder. I was just about to go out."

"I know." He grinned. "I'm your date."

"I don't have a date. I don't want a date," she announced ungraciously.

"Well, then I'm your mother's date. She called me and told me her friend couldn't make it and that she had a ticket for some sort of Irish thing that you were all going to and said I should hitch a ride with you."

"Well, thank you Mom," muttered Dana. She studied him. He looked well rested. He looked too damn well rested. She didn't want him to look that well rested, but he had lately, ever since he had started going out with what's her name..the tall drop dead gorgeous brunette who must wear at least a 36D bra or maybe it was 38 DD. " Oh grow up, Scully," She chided herself. "Well, grab the cooler and let's go, Mulder. It's a beautiful day. I think you'll enjoy it at Wolf Trap." She took her backpack and her keys.

"I'm sure I will," he said. "I had a decent night's sleep."

"I'll bet," she muttered. She felt very catty.

They didn't say a whole lot in the car. She was determined that she wasn't going to talk about work. She was sick of talking about work. She was determined not to ask about what's her name. She wasn't really supposed to know about what's her name. " Stop being jealous stupid," she thought to herself. The trouble was that what's her name reminded her too much of Phoebe Green. " Oh hell Dana, the poor guy has to get laid sometime. Yeah but what's her name is the type that gives you diseases. He's a big boy He can take care of himself.

Hopefully. But you're a doctor. It's none of your damn business."

Silence.

Wolf Trap is a beautiful place and the Scully clan spread their blankets toward the side at the top of a small hill where they had a good view of the main stage. There was a lot of hugging and kissing and exclaiming over the new baby and size of Sinead, the fact that Melissa was married, how big the kids had grown and how Maureen was starting to show! It was really family "stuff." Fox felt a little left out of all this although to his surprise everyone, with the possible exception of Melissa and Scully herself, seemed glad to see him. He thought idly that when women got together they sounded a bit like hens clucking. He liked the sound. He didn't get to hear it all that much. He'd never had much family life. He'd never gotten to do the normal things such as check out his sisters boyfriends, go to her wedding. He pushed the thought aside. Dana had been awfully quiet in the car. It wasn't that they didn't spend hours in cars being quiet.

They were very good at that. It's just that she hadn't been quite herself for the last couple of days. He wondered what was wrong. He didn't like to see her sad.

"Congratulations, Melissa," said Fox. She hadn't been married to Chuck yet at Sinead's wedding, the one Fox had escorted Dana to in a pinch seven months before.

"Thank you, Fox," she said. He and Melissa didn't like each other much. She really was a ditz brain. He had often wondered why she had been in such a hurry to pull the plug on Scully. Mrs. Scully he understood. She had been desperate. She had needed closure. But Melissa...well, Melissa hadn't been an ally. Yet, he knew the sisters loved one another. Some things never made sense. These people were so different from his own family. They smiled and laughed and hugged and touched a lot. They forgave each other for transgressions. He felt suddenly empty and alone. "Thou shalt not forgive," was the Mulder motto or so it seemed. No one to hug. No one to touch. He had certainly tried hugging and touching Justine. She certainly was beautiful. He'd dated her a few times. She was fun, sort of, and reasonably intelligent. He told himself that his failure to perform was leftover from the retrovirus he'd had, but it hadn't been that at all. It had been the emptiness of the whole thing. He had wanted the release that sex would have brought him, but it simply hadn't worked.

He guessed she wouldn't return his phone calls in the future. He guessed he should have cared. He didn't. He was back to not having a life. That was okay. He was even sleeping reasonably well.

* * *

He turned his attention to Dana. She had spread the blanket near the sleeping baby and had sat near her but she was staring off into space.

God, but she was beautiful. The sun caught her red hair and made it dance with fire. Life was funny. When she had first walked into his office and held out her hand, he remembered thinking her downright plain. If they had had to send someone to spy on him, he remembered thinking, at least it could have been a tall busty brunette. And what a little twerp she had seemed, rewriting Einstein. And so phony. " I'm looking forward to working with you, Agent Mulder. I've heard a lot about you." Bullshit. No one wanted to work with Spooky Mulder.

They ran like bats out of hell when they saw him coming, and no one, but no one was that naive! He didn't want to work with anyone either.

So, when had she gotten beautiful, and when had she stopped being a twerp? Oh well. Another question that would never be answered. Sweet mystery of life. She'd just gotten beautiful. She was about to lean back against her backpack, which also served as a backrest ,when he snatched it away and sat down leaning against it himself.

Hey!" she said with indignation.

"I'm a guest remember," he announced, "and must be treated with the utmost respect." With that he did something which was likely to get him a blackeye. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him so that she was sitting with her back against him. "I will however, share." He wanted someone to touch that day, someone to hold.

"Well, that is very gracious of you," she replied dryly thinking that she should slug him. She didn't though. She sat there stiffly as the music started. The kids had wondered off to play and were having fun rolling mindlessly down the big hill, and the adults sat quietly listening. The music was hauntingly beautiful. His eyes rested on the baby for a minute. She was a pretty little thing.

Looked like Dana. That sent a pain through him, a pain he couldn't identify, but which caused him to tighten his arms around her stomach a little. Her hair smelled so pretty, like fresh lemons. He didn't even realize that he was nuzzling her, her hair and then her neck, and her shoulder covered only partially by a pretty yellow tank top. He realized that he was putting a love bite on her shoulder only when he saw Mrs. Scully looking at him. He blushed fiercely and stopped, but she merely smiled at him knowingly. At least Dana's body had started to relax in his arms. She felt good.

Dana wondered why she was letting him get away with this. He sleeps with what's her name the night before and then shows up at her doorstep the next morning looking rested. Damn her mother anyway.

And he was touching her, really touching, her in a proprietary manner that screamed of "mine" as though she was his wife or girlfriend instead of work partner. Jeez, she should sock him. The trouble was there was no one else to touch her, and she felt needy, and his touch.,.his touch sent jolts through her body. Ever since Alaska, though she had denied it, she had really wanted to be more than his work partner. It was a dangerous fantasy, an impossibility. He didn't think of her like that, not really. Oh he loved her alright, but it was a friendship love, a brotherly love. His actions today were an aberration. She supposed he just needed to feel part of the group today, so he touched her. She'd straighten him out later. She really would.

The music stopped. There was much discussion. Different couples wanted to go to see different exhibitions. " I'd love to go see the Rankins, " said Jen, "but the baby is sleeping so peacefully, and I know you want to see them, mom."

Mrs. Scully smiled. Jen was sweet. She'd never ask anyone to babysit or take over her responsibility. She loved Jen. "Go on you two. I'll pass."

"That's okay, Mrs. Scully," said Fox. "Dana and I can watch her."

"Right," said Dana digging him with her elbow. "Honestly, Jen.

If we need to go somewhere we'll take the little critter with us. You should see the Rankins. You're the one whose Scots after all."

"You aren't going to want to go anywhere anyway." Mrs. Scully smiled. "Seamus Ryan is on next. Dana's had a crush on him for years. He's really good looking."

"Seamus Ryan?"

"Plays the flute," she winked at Fox

"Thanks you two. You coming, Mom?" asked Jen taking Chris' hand and giving Dana some brief information about feeding.

Everyone scattered to various places.

"She's a cute little thing," he said as Dana slipped away from him. "Looks like you, Scully."

"Her name is Dani."

"Hey. You okay pretty girl?" he asked taking her chin. "You look blue."

"I'm fine Mulder," she replied.

"Okay. Dana's favorite three words, ' I'm fine Mulder'." He couldn't help but smile. It was definitely an insane thing to do, but he started to press his mouth to hers. He never did know whether she planned to let him kiss her or was going to slug him, because at that instant the baby woke up with a fearsome wail. He jumped away from her.

"Jeez," he muttered."That was fast. I didn't even touch your lips yet and there's a baby already."

At that Dana had to laugh. She just couldn't help herself. "A sign of great potency maybe." She picked up the baby. "Uh oh. Wet and messy." Grabbing for the diaper bag, she got out a diaper and some wipes. When she had the baby clean and Mulder looking rather squeamish, she folded the diaper and slapped it into his hand. " Ah sweet revenge," she thought. "Trash can, Mulder. Now."

"Gee, thanks."

When he returned wiping his hands and telling himself he'd handled worse messes for the FBI, Dana was sitting there with the infant in her arms gazing down at the tiny face.

"You're such a pretty baby. Yes you are, Dani," she was saying.

"There's a beautiful smile for me, Dani. Nothing prettier than a baby smile." He watched her for a moment something gripping his heart, something he couldn't explain. He felt a tightening in his groin. It radiated down his legs. She looked so very lovely holding that baby.

It was so natural and sensual. "Get a grip, Mulder," he thought. "Of course she's pretty. You can't afford to think about things like little redheaded babies."

Melissa came back. She flopped down just as Mulder sat.

"I swear. Chuck is rolling down the hill with the kids. He wants me to have kids, but he's a kid himself," she muttered.

"I think you should have a baby, Lis," said Dana. She set the baby in her lap and to his alarm, began strapping something on Fox.

"Why don't you go first, sis? Then you can let me know if it's any fun."

"Because, Melissa, you are the oldest for one thing, and you are married and I am not. Therein lies the difference," laughed Dana.

"Is this an instrument of torture, Scully?" asked Mulder "You should get so lucky, Mulder," quipped Lis.

He laughed. "Right."

"You want torture, Mulder, go talk to what's her name. It's a baby carrier," said Dana, "Since you volunteered to babysit, you are going to take the baby for a walk with me."

"Oh, okay...I think.. What about the flute player?" he said dubiously as she popped the baby into the carrier. The child stuck a finger in her mouth and whimpered.

"While you were destroying the environment with the diaper, they announced he wasn't here," she said. "Unfortunately. He's drop dead gorgeous." They walked away.

"Looking good," called Melissa. "The decoration suits you, Mulder."

"Ditz brain," he muttered

"My sister is not a ditz brain. Well maybe...no she isn't."

"Sorry," he apologized. "She just knows how to get my goat. A flute player ,Scully?"

"Why not?" she asked coldly.

"You sure little precious here isn't going to fall out of this, Scully?" he asked hoping she wasn't mad and realizing she'd found out about Justine somehow.

"Absolutely, Mulder. And with the FBI to protect her, she should be the safest little baby in town. You are taking me to see the Fiddler Puppets."

He walked with her across a pretty little bridge to an ampitheatre in the woods. They took a seat on a comfortable bench.

No sooner had the show started than the baby started to cry. Dana slipped her out of the carrier and handed her to Fox. Then she handed Fox a bottle and a cloth diaper.

"Feed her," she hissed

"How hard could it be?" he thought. He popped the nipple into the kid's mouth and she began to suck happily.

"Burp her," whispered Dana

"Yeah right," he muttered. He put the kid on his shoulder. He couldn't believe that a little kid could burp like that. The trouble was, when she did everything she'd eaten came right back up. Dana was laughing silently as she wiped his neck with the cloth diaper.

"Now you feed her some more."

For some reason the word" bitch" popped into his mind...not the baby. The baby really was cute. He pushed it away. He couldn't think of Dana l like that. The baby finished the bottle and this time didn't spit quite so much back out. Well, not quite..maybe. He turned her around so she could see, and she drooled disgusting white stuff on his hand for the rest of the show.

While they were waiting to leave, the elderly man who'd been sitting next to him smiled. "Sure is a pretty baby you have there, son. Don't you worry. The next one will be dark like you," he winked, "When I was young ,men didn't do things like you fellows do today. Think we missed something."

"Yeah..uh.. right...thanks," muttered Fox. Dana put the baby back in the carrier. Oh hell. he thought. When the kid smiled, she looked like a toothless Dana. So she threw up all over him. What else could she do...He suddenly felt a wet warmth spreading all down his front.

"Uh, Mrs. Mulder," he hissed at Dana a few moments later in revenge for her laughter at the older man's words, "if you ever buy these cheap diapers for my kids, I'll throttle you. This child has just peed all over me."

"Well, I guess she just loves her Daddy to death. You sure that's all she did?"

Actually he wasn't, but he didn't say anything. He was hopeful. Hope springs eternal in the human heart. After all, he'd just thrown away one messy diaper. How many times could something so little do that in a day?

"Come on, Mulder. We'd better get her back to her parents. And I promise I'll never buy cheap diapers for your kids. And," she hissed, "don't forget the damned MD after that Mrs."

* * *

"Looks like my baby girl got you good, Mulder," laughed Chris as Dana handed her back to her Mom. " I mean she didn't miss a trick.

"Spit, wet..."

"Don't say it," said Fox, "Please."

"Give me the shirt, Mulder. I'll take it and clean it up," said Dana taking a little pity on him. "She's just in love with you.

That's all. I guess she heard about how attractive you find redheads." Dana added somewhat saracastically.

"Anyway," said Mrs Scully, "it's good practice for you. One of these days there might be a little Mulder running around. You never know."

"You and what's her name better watch out, Mulder," said Dana. "My mother has a way of being right about these things."

"What's her name?" asked Mrs. Scully.

"Mulder goes for the drop dead gorgeous brunette types, " smiled Dana.

"Oh," said Margaret deciding that she had better keep her mouth shut. Now she understood the reason for her daughter's bad mood. She didn't understand why the two of them couldn't just admit they loved one another. She'd have even been happy to see them living in sin at this point. She knew once Dana had a bun in the oven, Fox would marry her and all could be forgiven later. Another woman. This was not good.

Dana returned a few minutes later with the damp shirt. She spread the shirt out to let the wet spots dry and everyone started unpacking lunch. She really tried to ignore how gorgeous he looked shirtless. "Get a grip ,Scully," she told herself. "You've seen him naked. Big deal. Just another guy. So what." The kids were served first. Fox watched as Eileen had to be threatened with death if she didn't eat the two bites on her plate, and Michael had his hair ruffled with the admonishment that" three sandwiches was quite enough to start with young man." That brought back memories. He pushed away the memories of how his father had admonished him. Tim's nieces and nephews were being very good because their parents weren't around.

Sinead took a plate and balanced it on her tummy. The baby kicked and nearly sent it flying. Everyone laughed.

"I'm ready to drop this load," she moaned

"It won't be long," said Dana professionally.

"I can't believe I'm doing it again after all these years," said Maureen.

"I can't believe I just did it," smiled Jen.

"Think I'll wait," said Anita, " if it isn't too late already...Now don't get excited. It's a big maybe...I'm just a little late."

"Kevin forgot to buy the condoms at the PX?" said Bill.

"Got that right," said Kevin. "By accident of course."

"Way to go, Kev," chided Chris. "Play now, pay later." There was laughter.

Dana handed Fox a plate of food and a bottle of Harp beer. There was a lot of food on the plate.

"Too bad Walt couldn't make it," sighed Meg Scully. "I was looking forward to introducing you."

"Ah, so that's the mystery man's name," said Bill Jr. There was silence for a moment. Mom never complained, but they all knew she was lonely and missed Dad.

Dana suddenly couldn't resist the temptation. She knew he hated it. She knew he really really hated it. She took Mulder's bottle of beer and took a good long slug out of it.

"Hey," he said. "That's mine. You know I hate that." He really sounded annoyed. She'd been his partner long enough to know he couldn't stand people drinking out of his containers. It was almost a phobia with him. She really was being a bitch today, first letting him hold her and then giving him that baby to share more bodily fluids than he cared to think about and now drinking from his beer bottle. She loved it. She didn't think he did.

"It's time you learned to share," she announced. Then she bent over and whispered in his ear, "What's the matter, Mulder, scared of a little bodily fluid?"

He looked at her and suddenly he laughed. He realized something then. She was jealous of what's her name...Justine...right...and his partner was exacting revenge. He loved it. He really really loved it. The baby was adorable if messy. He wasn't going to let it get to him. He bent over to her and whispered in her ear, "Marry me, Scully, and I'll show you how scared I am of bodily fluids," He wasn't serious. No...he simply was NOT serious...Him married..to his beautiful Dana...to go home and make love to her at night...that beautiful red hair...he was NOT serious. She would never take him seriously.

She looked at him. It was her Dana look. Controlled. Her Ms. Spock look, the Ice Queen of the FBI at her best. He was waiting for an acerbic comment. It would be good whatever it was.

"Okay," she said looking directly at him.

"Okay? Okay?" he spluttered. "Just like that...okay? You just said okay?"

"Uh huh."

"Jeez." He didn't know what to say. He HAD been kidding. So why was his heart singing. Hearts couldn't really sing. She was going to marry him. He couldn't get married. What about Sam? She always helped him look for Sam anyway. Oh jeez..married.. married to Dana, making love to Dana, a baby growing inside of Dana...maybe a little girl like Dani, or a son. Dana looking like Sinead. "Cool" was the best he could manage to say. He tweaked her nose. He tweaked her damn nose. Guys don't week the noses of the woman who has just agreed to marry them. He couldn't do anything else. He was paralyzed.

Aliens from ouertspace hadn't paralyzed him as badly as this. "Cool."

What a f_____g stupid thing to say. Wasn't he supposed to kiss her or something? Declare eternal love? " Cool. " Somebody shoot him. He was so stupid, he probably didn't deserve to live. Suddenly he was very hungry. He devoured everything on his plate. He raved about Mrs. Scully's potato salad and had seconds. He was getting married. Dana ate quietly. She looked at him once in awhile. Wondered if he had been kidding. He probably had, but just in case he wasn't, she would marry him. It would be an insane thing to do, but everyone had to be insane at least once in their life. Then, God help him, if he so much as looked at what's her name, any what's her name. He wouldn't. He wouldn't need to. She'd see to that. What a dumb proposal! And what a stupid thing to say. Cool! And to tweak her nose like that. God, how she loved him. He was so different. There would never be flowers or romance. It wasn't him. But he would be there. Oh yes. He would be there. Experience had taught her that.

Flowers and romance weren't necessary. She had "cool" and football videos and a nose to be tweaked.

* * *

"You okay, Mulder?" asked Bill. "You look like someone just knocked your socks off or something."

"Oh yeah...I'm fine... great actually," he said "Thanks..." It was starting to sink in. Married. To Dana. A ring on his finger.

Through his nose. Who cared? Married.

"Actually, Bill, he looks like he just scored with our sister," said Chris

Mulder looked at him. He wanted to say something nasty to that, but Dana squeezed his arm. Chris was Chris. He was family. He could joke." "

With the BVD, nah," said Bill

"The what?" asked Fox

"Sinead, don't say a word," said Dana

"When she was a kid she was such a tight ass goody two shoes, we used to call her the blessed virgin Dana," laughed Sinead. "It got shortened to BVD. Wouldn't surprise me if she still wasn't."

"May your waters not break for two more months," muttered Dana.

"Hm..BVD...I like it," he said. "I like it a lot. Guess I'll have to start calling you shorts at the office."

"Don't you dare. Don't you even think about it," she said "I like it. It's cute. Shorts. It suits you."

"Thanks, guys," she muttered."It's wonderful having brothers and cousins."

"Oh come on, Dana," laughed Sinead, "Gran was right at your birthday party. You need a good shagging and you know it. Got to do the wild thing sometime cousin."

Mulder couldn't help but laugh remembering her birthday. Dana shot him a dirty look.

"May your waters not break for three months, Sinead," spat Dana, but then she had to laugh in spite of herself.

Fox could no longer resist the temptation to try to kiss her again, so he slipped his hands around her neck and almost managed to press his lips against those of the woman he was going to marry. Then they heard THE VOICE.

"Hello ,Meg. I finished early so I decided to come and buy a ticket at the gate."

"Hello, Walter," she smiled "I'm really glad you could make it."

"Skinner," they blurted out leaping apart. The FBI frowned on finding partners locked in compromsing positions.

"That's my name," he said

"Well, you know these two," laughed Meg Scully, "Let me introduce the rest of the clan. Now you all be nice because Fox and Dana provide this man with more aggravation than he needs." She laughed.

Dana realized that her mother really liked him..a lot, and judging by his reaction to her, he liked her more than just a little. "Oh God," she thought. "What next?" Dani started to cry and absolutely would not be consoled by anyone except Mulder, a fact which seemed to send Skinner over the edge of amusement into mild hysteria as Margaret provided him with a large and delicious lunch.

Everyone finished eating. Mulder settled his head in her lap, and she popped a grape in his mouth. He didn't seem to be letting Skinner bother him today. Dana supposed sex with a what's her name did that for a guy and braced herself for his "I was only kidding" announcement which was going to hurt an awful lot when it came.

"Aren't you going to peel them?" he inquired innocently.

"Don't push your luck," she replied

"Want to finish my beer?"

"No." She smiled. "It's yours remember."

Michael came over. "Time to play frisbee," he announced. Adult males started getting up.

"Ugh," muttered Fox. She dumped him out of her lap.

"That means you too," she said. "Family tradition."

"Family tradition," he muttered. "Oh yeah." It suddenly dawned on him that he was going to have all these brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces, a family, a real family. Dana watched him. He needed a family so badly.

"Sounds like fun Mike," he said. "Hey guys wait for me." He trotted off.

Skinner got up.

"Where are you going?" asked Margaret.

"Tradition is tradition right?" he smiled down at her. "I'm allowed to join aren't I?"

"Of course you are."

"Mom is really happy," thought Dana, "and that was a sweet gesture."

"He's a good man, mom," she heard herself say. She wished she was 100% sure.

"I know that, honey," she said softly. "Sometimes men like him have to play a difficult game, but he is fundamentally decent and that is very very hard to find. Kind of like Fox," she smiled at her daughter.

Fox winced. The game had progressed nicely for awhile until the girls wanted to get in. Brothers and sisters would fight. It came with the territory. Little sisters bugged older brothers, and older brothers didn't want them to play.

"I hate you, Eileen," screamed Michael. "Get out of my life."

Michael grabbed the frisby from her, and she screamed in his ear.

"That's enough, Michael," said Bill really angry. The kids had been bickering all week long. Maureen hadn't been feeling that well, and work had been awful. He was just starting to unwind, and now the kids were going to start fighting...yet again.

"Why don't you let me talk to him?" said Fox. He just had the most awful feeling that Bill was going to hit the kid.

"Not your business, Mulder," snapped Bill. "Oh hell, look I'm sorry. He's been driving me nuts. Go ahead. Maybe he'll listen to you."

Michael looked scared. Dad had promised him a wallop next time he mouthed off at Eileen. He'd promised Eileen one too, the next time she got pesty. Dad's wallops never really hurt much except dignity.

Their Dad loved them too much to hurt them, but still, he didn't want to get walloped in front of Agent Mulder, who he thought was about the coolest guy on earth.

"Come on, Mike," Agent Mulder was saying suddenly. "We need to talk about little sisters."

"So," concluded Fox as they neared the blanket, "when she screams in your ear like that just ignore it because you really wouldn't like to lose her."

"Okay, but why do girls do that?" asked the boy

"Well, little girls grow up to be wives. I didn't realize it when I was a kid, but they need someone to practice nagging on. Big brothers are just perfect," he told Michael as they reached the blanket.

"What a thing to be telling him, Mulder," said Dana.

"Oh, Aunt Dana, It's a guy thing. You wouldn't understand," said Michael in a very adult voice. That brought on paroxysms of laughter from the adults. "Eileen," he said, "you're still a little twerp, but Sean and I will play with you and Katie for awhile." The kids walked off.

"You done good, Mulder," laughed Bill. "You'll make a good Daddy someday. Of course, your kids won't listen to you, but that's another story. You don't know that yet." More laughter.

"I'll send them to Uncle Bill," he said.

"Guess that depends who the mother is. Otherwise it's just Bill.

Anytime."

"That is just what the world needs," said Skinner, "little Mulder's. I'll lose the rest of my hair."

That evoked laughter from Margaret. "Are you saying that this lovely young man gives you a hard time, Walter? I mean he was so sweet to the staff at the hospital when Dana was sick."

"Yeah right, and they all called my office to report him for it."

Somehow, Fox didn't quite want the day to end but it did. Even Skinner wasn't bothering him overly much...yet. It ended when Sinead's water broke, and Tim had to take her to Arlington Hospital.

Dana smiled and forgave her cousin even ,though Mulder had been calling her Shorts, which was only somewhat better than bvd, all day.

"We'll take your nieces and nephews home," said Fox. "Don't worry about them, Tim. "

"Thanks, Mulder," he said nervously. "We are out of here."

"Call me," called Dana after them. "Say hi to Dr. Chan for me."

Everyone said their goodbyes, and they popped the kids into the car and dropped them off at their home in College Park before heading back up the Parkway to DC.

"Want to come over for a little while?" asked Dana "I could use some of your perfect coffee," he acknowledged. They rode in silence until they got to her house. She felt like she knew what was coming. It had been fun pretending for a day that he really wanted to marry her, that they would have a life together. It couldn't last. He would go back to seeing what's her name.

"Will you rinse the cooler out for me, Spook?" she asked when they hit the kitchen. "I'll start the coffee?"

"Sure Shorts," he replied. "It's coming." he thought. "She's going to tell me there's no way she'd ever marry me."

When the coffee was ready they sat down at her small kitchen table.

"You make the world's best coffee," he smiled.

"I guess you want me to make it every morning."

"I didn't exactly plan...well..you know to do what I did."

"I know," she said sadly. She looked at him

"What I mean is...well...I don't have a ring or anything, because I never thought you'd say yes. We'll pick the ring out together, okay?

A smile lit her face, a beautiful smile. "I don't want a ring," she said softly

"Oh, no. You are going to have a ring."

"But if they find out at work."

"Let them," he said. "You are getting a ring. Then I'm going to put a big sign on you that says THIS WOMAN IS THE PROPERTY OF FOX MULDER, MALE CHAUVINIST PIG EXTRAORDINAIRE."

She laughed. "Not quite, Mulder. Don't even think about it.

That's what the ring is for."

They lapsed in silence for a moment.

"I well, I'll have to see about some kind of birth control I guess."

"That's up to you," he said quietly, "but you won't need it until after we get married."

"Don't you want to..."

"That was your stupid question of the week." He smiled. "Of course I want to. Right now, but...listen...I know this is kind of silly but, well, your dad had certain beliefs, and well, I want to marry you in a church and do it ...I don't know if right is the best way to put it, but do it in a way that would have made him proud to have me as his son-in-law if he were alive."

"That's so old fashioned, Fox," she said.

"I know, but I think it's important," he grinned, "and I can;'t believe I'm saying it."

She smiled at him deeply touched. She did think it was old fashioned and stupid, but there was something sweet about the way he cared about her family.

"I love you," she said quietly.

"I love you too. Now I had better go before all my resolve melts."

They walked to her door arm in arm, and when they got there, he decided an engaged man did have some privileges. He finally got that wonderful long kiss he'd been wanting for so long. Reluctantly, he broke it off and touched her cheek.

"By the way, Shorts, it's going to be all over the OPM where what's her name works tomorrow, that the FBI couldn't perform."

Dana knew how difficult it was for a guy to admit to problems like that. She gave him an absolutely radiant smile, like the one she had given him Alaska.

"Don't worry, Spook. I'm a doctor. I'll fix you up."

"Scully, you're a damn forensic pathologist."

"Right. I am very very good at working with dead things."

He was still laughing when he got to the bus stop to take him back to his apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think before I get them started fighting over THE RING. Too corny?
> 
> Should I do something more with Margaret and Skinner or leave that for another story?


End file.
